Chapter 23 The Stand Down
The Stand Down
Harper
“Harper?” My mom’s voice follows a knock on my door.
I startle awake, aware of Luke’s heavy arm draped around my waist and my mom at my bedroom door. Which is thankfully locked.
“Sleeping,” I call out in a scratchy voice. Luke’s arm tightens around me, drawing me back into his warmth. Butterflies lift off in my stomach as he holds me against him.
“You okay after last night?” Mom’s voice comes through the door.
It takes my mind a second to catch up. The prank, not Luke.
“Yeah, Bob and Fran went through the house, and I stayed up watching some TV before going to bed. Stayed up way too late,” I call out. “Hoping to get more sleep now.”
Luke’s nose rubs the back of my neck, making tingles light beneath my skin. I want to tell him to stop, but I also want him to continue.
“Okay, I just wanted to check on you. I’m going to bed. If you need anything or want to talk, just wake me up. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I breathe a sigh of relief as her footsteps retreat from my door.
Luke pushes his hips against my ass, and I can feel his hardness. Heat flushes through my system, and I’m not sure all of it is from embarrassment.
I just slept with Luke Foster.
Luke’s lips brush against the back of my neck as he says, “Need more sleep.”
“Agreed.” I snuggle into him and close my eyes again. I can deal with the fact Luke slept over later.
“If you keep rubbing your ass into my cock, we’ll be doing a lot more than sleeping.”
Ah, there’s my cranky Death. I smile. “Boundaries. Unless someone has gone and fucked things up. Then I would have to kindly ask you to leave my room. But since we don’t know if they fucked up, be quiet and get more sleep. It’s only six in the morning.”
“When are you going to let us fuck you, princess?” He tightens his arm around my waist. My panties dampen at his dark voice, his warm breath against my ear, and the hot press of his body.
“Probably never,” I admit. “After all, it’s my virginity. I should be able to give it to whoever I want.”
“You want us.” His tone is knowing. He’s not wrong either. I do want them, but it’s still this battle of wills and I don’t want to be the one to cave.
“Maybe when you guys beg for it, I’ll consider.”
His chuckle is dark. “We’ll see who begs first. Sleep now, princess.”
If this turns into a game of sex chicken, I’m not only outmanned but also outgunned. These guys have much more experience than I do. I’m not sure if holding out will be good for me or end up horrible for me. They’re being patient with me now, but how long will that last?
I must have dozed off. When I wake next, I’m face to face with a sleeping Luke. Sunlight pours in through my windows. Even though the guys leave their webcams on at night, there is nothing quite like having a living being in front of you completely asleep.
His features are relaxed and his lips part as he breathes slowly. I want to reach out and feel how soft they are, to brush the lock of hair that’s fallen over his eye back. It’s hard to believe he’s here in my bed with me. That we only kissed last night, but he held me through the night.
Especially after those kisses on the football field and in the cafeteria. If we’d been alone then, things would have escalated quickly. Maybe one of us would have stopped, but maybe not. Last night he only briefly kissed me like that before pulling away.
I’m not going to think about that other kiss.
He’s sleeping on his non-injured shoulder. The bruising is a lot more visible now than last night. Deep purple with a tinge of green. Fortunately it’s his left shoulder and not his throwing arm.
Kenz has slept on my bed with me before, but we usually keep to our sides. Last night, Luke dragged me to the middle of the bed and that’s where we stayed. Him holding me and keeping me safe.
My fingers itch with the urge to reach out and trace his features. To try to memorize the slope of his nose, the curve of his lips, the hard line of his brow, the fuzz of new growth on his chin.
I’m theirs. It’s hard to come to terms with it, but deep inside I think I always knew it would come to this. I’m still not going to lie down and give up, but my will to fight is definitely shaken.
Luke could have taken advantage of me. He could have moved his so-called boundaries, but he didn’t.
Yes, he kissed me, but no more than he usually does.
And that last kiss…I don’t even know what to think of that kiss.
Caden kissed me softly yesterday, but from Luke, it’s a much bigger deal. He doesn’t do nice and soft.
When he abruptly stretches and reaches for me, I can’t help the butterflies that burst within me as he drags me into his chest. My ear rests against his beating heart. After a moment of awkwardness, I let my arm drape over his waist.
“Sleepovers should be part of the deal, princess.”
I smile at his sleepy voice. “Not sure my mom would agree. Good thing someone thought to lock the door last night.”
“You’re welcome,” he mumbles.
He rubs his scratchy chin against my head while keeping me against him. I try to pry myself away, but not very hard. Instead, I end up pressed tighter to him.
“Pretty sure that would have added a month to my grounding.” And be for real this time.
Sure, nothing happened between us, but Mom doesn’t know that, and me swearing nothing happened probably would have fallen on deaf ears.
Having a guy like Luke in my bedroom, in my bed, in his underwear at night alone is a huge no-no. She doesn’t even need to tell me that.
“We can’t have that happen.” His arms hold me against him, but I feel them start to loosen a little. I’m cocooned in the bed with him. His heat engulfs me, warming me inside and out.
Is he falling back to sleep? I don’t even know what time it is or how long we slept. I’m pretty sure it was after midnight when Luke came over. Maybe one or later.
Fuck it. It’s Saturday. I snuggle into him and let his sultry cologne fill my nose. His skin is warm against my cheek and hands.
I imagine at some point they’ll all want to sleep with me. Caden seems like a cuddler. Jack too. I wouldn’t have pegged Luke for a cuddler and definitely don’t think Eli is one, but who knows? Maybe I’ll find out.
Luke’s phone buzzes. He breathes out into my hair before letting out a soft, “Fuck.”
For a second, it seems like he’s going to ignore it, but then he rolls onto his back and reaches over to the nightstand.
I squeak a little as he drags me with him, so my head is still on his chest but now my leg rests across his.
His thigh between my legs. When I try to shift, he gives me a heated look that stills me.
He pulls up his texts.
“Anyone slip and fall into anyone’s vagina last night?” I prop my chin on my hand on his chest to look up at him.
“You better hope not because if they did, then you’re all mine, princess.” His blue eyes scorch me when he glances my way. His blond hair is a mess, and it makes him seem more…human.
I force myself not to squirm from the possessiveness in his voice. It sends shivers down my spine. I remind him and myself, “Still own myself.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Luke clicks on his phone for a few seconds. “Guys are going to grab breakfast before practice today. Is breakfast off limits for grounded people?”
He cocks an eyebrow.
“I do like breakfast.” I bite my lip as I consider the consequences. Sure, I can go with him to breakfast. Mom really won’t care, but if I act like my grounding is lenient, what else will they want me to do?
“You do have to eat.” His hand strokes up and down my back, sending tiny sparks through me.
“I did have a pretty tough night. Worst prank ever, followed by waking up to a creeper on my bed.” I arch my eyebrow.
“A creeper you asked to stay the night.” He clicks something on his phone and sets it aside. His fingers trail down the side of my face, and tingles spread through me. “What’s it going to be, princess? Breakfast or not?”
Caden
When Luke shows up to breakfast in the same clothes as last night with Harper in tow, I’m not the only one who has questions.
He disappeared from the party early. When I got home, I checked to see if Harper was on.
Her camera wasn’t active. We hadn’t asked her to, so I didn’t expect her to be there, but Luke wasn’t in his room either.
Harper wears flared, low-slung jeans that cup her ass and a green cropped halter top that shows off her tits. Her long hair is loose around her shoulders and she doesn’t have on any makeup that I can tell. She’s fucking hot as hell.
I exchange a look with Jack and Eli. We may not get to the bottom of this until Harper leaves. Then we can interrogate Luke and figure out what happened last night.
“Good morning, cavemen. How was the party last night?” Harper asks as she sits and takes a menu.
“Thought you were grounded.” Not that I don’t want her here, but we have to establish what grounding is and isn’t in her world. Especially if it’s fake.
“Mom worked last night. She wasn’t up to ask her if I could or couldn’t. I figure breakfast out is a kind of gray area.” Harper shrugs but the tips of her ears are tinged red. “That and I’m hungry.”
She hides behind the menu. How long are we going to allow her to be grounded? Especially if Luke is chill again.
Eli sets his menu down. “If coming out to breakfast gets you more time, you will be punished.”
“It won’t.” Harper glances at Eli over the menu. “Sooo…who got laid last night?”
“The party was good. You were missed.” Eli doesn’t look at her and doesn’t see her pout since he didn’t answer her question.
“If you say yourself, we’ll need to talk.” I straighten as I look at Harper before throwing a glare at Luke.
“I definitely did not get laid last night.” Harper sets her menu down and purses her lips. “I got scared out of my wits, but definitely no penetration happened. Happy?”
“Did you scare Harper?” My eyes lock with Luke’s. Cause that’s not going to fly either.